Die Another Day
by Sephielya J. Maxwell
Summary: Kabuto and Sasuke are sent to rerieve data from a destroyed base of Orochimaru's, thanks to a traitor within the Oto. What began as a simple mission soon becomes intangled, when Akatsuki gets involved...
1. Confrentation

The rain was stopping, but the air remained thick with it, wet and muggy from the heat that lingered in the forest. Kabuto pulled down the hood over his head, his glasses slightly fogged as he glanced to his companion.

"It's stopping," he said quietly, "they'll pick us up soon."

"I know that." The other ninja snapped, shrugging off his own cloak and standing up fully, a lean and dark figure. The medic sighed, standing as well.

"Well then," an irritated voice, "let's go."

It wasn't long at all before the enemy was close again. Even at full speed, the two injured and tired ninjas couldn't out run them. Kabuto cursed his ill luck on this mission, damned from the very beginning.

It was supposed to be a good chance to test Sasuke's skills when one of Orochimaru's spies in the Mist had turned on them, ratting out the location of one of their many bases. It was unoccupied at the time, but the Sannin would lose valuable data in the destruction of it. In retaliation he'd sent Kabuto to lead a group of ten Jounin and Chuunin to retrieve what they could of his data—orders to kill any opposition they met. As for the spy, Orochimaru was going to deal with him personally.

Though it had been a full month since the raid on the base, the Soundnins had met with a fierce ambush upon arrival. The medic would be pleased to report to Orochimaru that Sasuke had taken down eight of the enemy single-handedly, in brilliant flashes of blood and lightning. The medic had found himself distracted by it for a brief moment, the spinning and graceful maneuvers reminding him all too clearly of another Container… However, the opposition was greater than they had thought. For every ninja they killed another slipped from the shadows like a never-ending tide. One by one the ninjas of the sound had fallen until only Kabuto and Sasuke remained. Up to their knees in dead bodies, fighting in the narrow hallways become near impossible, and Kabuto had chosen their last option: Flee. Most of the data left behind, the two had barely escaped. The rain had helped that; making tracking them through the trees near impossible through loss of scent and evidence. It had rained all through the night, allowing them a few much needed hours of rest—well, for Sasuke anyway. Kabuto had opted to take the last soldier pill that he'd brought with them, staying wide awake.

The rain, however, had stopped a full two hours ago. Still a good four to five hours from home, another fight looked unavoidable. Kabuto's glasses were fogged, and Sasuke's eyes had developed dark shadows underneath them. Both were bleeding from small wounds that Kabuto dared not use the chakara to heal. Clothes were wet and clingy, hair damp and frizzed with humidity, same as their moods.

"They're—"

"Gaining." Sasuke finished, glancing behind him. His hand moved to the sword behind him, but both ninja stopped suddenly on the same tree when an unexpected presence came over them. Puzzling over the development and danger of more company, they hesitated long enough to hear the approach of the remaining Mist.

"Looks like we've no choice."

"Shut up and let's do it." Irritation was brought on by exhaustion, and Sasuke was dead tired. Red eyes glared behind them, promising a slow and painful death to those in pursuit. Just as his hand tightened on the handle of his sword, and Kabuto built up the chakara that lined his hands a light blue, a chilling voice spoke up from behind them,

"What is this?" It said coolly, and a rougher chuckle followed. "I guess it's true after all… even you've become his lap dog."

"You mean it's these two? They got what we were sent for?"

"Probably. He's here after all, Saso…no, Orochimaru's spy."

Breathing stopped as heads turned, beholding the final stab to weary and wounded hearts this day. Standing just a few trees away, black and red cloaks wafted slowly in the wind. Black and vivid red eyes stared into the gray and equally red, the latter two stunned into silence. Kabuto glanced to Sasuke without turning his head. Just as he feared, the boy was beginning to lose it already. His body shook ever so slightly, and his half-way drawn sword clattered in its sheath.

"Itachi…" He whispered, low and deadly. The older Uchiha remained calm, lifting his head a little to reveal more of his face, tilting his hat back. He could have been smiling. Kabuto grimaced,

"Sas—" The whistling sound of kunai stopped him, and both were forced to jump aside as they struck home, sending chips of dark flying where they had been. Kabuto glanced back to their original pursuers, any hope of surviving seeming to flee at the sight of the twelve of them. Luckily, Sasuke seemed to have enough thought left to understand the situation. He sprang into action the same time as he medic did—attacking the foremost of the Anbu from the Mist.

Blood flew in high arcs, Sasuke's sword alight with his full-body Chidori; Kabuto's curved kunai split the enemy wide open, and neither could avoid the red rain of their attacks. One after the other, they numbered the Mist down. Almost no time for any jutsu at all, back to the basics of kunai, shuriken, and hand-to-hand. The Soundnins didn't even spare a glance to each other as they both made their way to the forest floor. Flat on their feet they'd have a better advantage than on the rain-slick branches.

Hitting the ground, Kabuto pulled a scroll out from behind him, spilling it out as he did. "Shikon no jutsu!" He shouted, forming the seal. From the scroll, two bodies rose swiftly, masked and fully armed. They charged the enemy, and Sasuke dodged one skillfully as he sent the medic a glare. Kabuto didn't even have time to give him a smirk as he was working on dodging another Anbu's kunai. One of the bodies was taken down in his break of attention, but the other ran an enemy through with a short sword. That left four… He caught a flash of black and red in the corner of his sight and he let a curse slip past his lips. Not just four…

Sasuke was in his own world now, even if Kabuto was still paying attention to the both of them. The younger Uchiha spun to evade another attack, a creative little jutsu of wind and leaves. When another caught his ankle, he would have laughed if he had not seen his brother just a moment ago. A hand of water held his ankle tightly, leading back to an Anbu with the mask of something that resembled a fish. The medic wisely jumped onto a low branch just before the electricity hit the rain-soaked forest floor. It traveled the length of the water-arm faster than the jutsu could break, paralyzing the man instantly with its force. Kabuto's kunai finished the job, three inches into his chest, just between his ribs. That would have been a nice jutsu to learn…

Something solid hit Kabuto's left side, forcing him to hit the tree so hard that he lost his breath. Without even a grunt of pain, he avoided the next wave. Wave? It looked more like a shark. _Fuck. _Gaining a little distance, the medic took good look at his new opponent. Kisame stood out in the open, obviously a face-to-face fighter, smirking widely to bare his pointed teeth as his hand rest as if casually on the hilt of the giant sword over his back. _Calm down… You've faced a Sannin…_

But from Orochimaru, Kabuto had learned that Kisame supposedly had the biggest chakara supply of any of the Akatsuki. Even if he got close enough to touch the other, how long would it take to wear him down? Avoidance was the needed tactic, and he had little chakara left for it. With a deep breath and a seal, he went under ground.

Just as he broke the surface the sword Samehada came down, and Kabuto narrowly kept from making contact. Smirking, he hit Kisame hard on the calf with one of his hands before springing over another swing. It sprained his wrist to do so, and he ducked under the backswing, surprised at how fast the giant man could swing his giant sword. Kisame hadn't even stumbled from the hit. Kabuto was able to get out of sword range, but he had to fight to keep that distance. So his skin was thick as well? Fine. The glow around his hands increased, and he grit his teeth. If he was going to die here, he wanted to give the shark-bastard something to remember…

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Not all too far away, Sasuke still fought off the four persistent Anbu remaining, knowing he was being watched. Every move he made was being judged, criticized, and torn about in his brother's mind. If Sasuke had a weakness, it was rage.

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The fist hit Kabuto's face before he could even think to react, and he barely missed hitting a few trees as he skid across the ground. His glasses were lost this time, leaving his vision slightly blurred. Flipping back onto his feet, he came in towards Kisame just as the other charged. He'd underestimated him, thinking his main skill was in that sword. The fucking shark-man was _fast, _and his hits reminded the medic of Tsunade's strength all too much. Each of them struck and dodged, but it was Kabuto that was getting skimmed more often that not. Once when the other had swung high, he'd gotten one good hit in on Kisame's chest, and he'd heard the other gasp. Knowing better than to take his time, he'd jumped back enough to regain his balance. Blood slipped from Kisame's lips, but he licked it away with a smirk.

"Not bad… that one stings my lung pretty bad…but who needs breath?" he asked, hefting his sword once again. Kabuto glared. At the edge of his attention, he could hear Sasuke fighting the Mist Anbu, telling him he'd been brought back to where they began. He was being played with, he knew it! Time for last-ditch efforts. Kabuto's hands lined with blue again, and he took a few swift breaths, his eyes firmly on the sword that was heading for his chest. He swung, and hard, jumping forward instead of backwards or to the side. He felt Samehada hit his shoulder, and he couldn't keep from crying out this time—feeling his bones crack and shatter under the force. He'd been expected to dodge the brunt of it. As luck would have it, he had just enough chakara that when he hit Kisame's shoulder, he felt the muscles tear under his hand. Kisame grit his teeth, and both jumped back away from the other. The sword having sucked his chakara away, the hit that he could have mostly healed left him feeling faint and panting raggedly, fighting the urge to heal himself with what little he had left. Left arm damaged, and right wrist sprained…

Kisame on the other hand was obviously in pain as well, and he glared at the medic. "That one hurt… Look at this… my arm is useless…" He said, grimacing. Unfortunately for Kabuto, it was Kisame's left arm, and the blue-skinned man swung with his right. "I underestimated you, but that's alright… I don't need this arm to beat a rat like you…" He should have been watching his enemy, but the flash of lightning caught his attention. He saw Sasuke's sword touch one Anbu's stomach just as another came up behind him.

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Sasuke's sword sank deep into the Anbu's stomach, and he smirked as he placed his hand on the man's shoulder to shove him off. This one had been trouble, but he'd gotten him anyway.

"_SASUKE!_" The familiar voice shouted from the side, but the Uchiha didn't even have time to turn before something solid hit his back, and he heard the clash of metal followed by the sound of it slicing through flesh. Just as he turned to yell at the Kabuto for interfering, his throat dried up, and his eyes went wide.

Black and red…!

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Though the fist but brushed his cheek this time, Kabuto slipped on the mud as he made to jump. He hit he ground hard, and was on his stomach in a split second, his right wrist jerked painfully up towards his shoulder blade as he felt the knee pressed to the back of his neck. Grunting in pain, he tried to turn his head to see what had happened to Sasuke.

"Caught him." Kisame said to his partner calmly, and the medic groaned in pain as his injured wrist was twisted. "Noisy, isn't he…"

"Don't kill him, Kisame." Itachi said firmly, stepping up into the medic's fuzzy line of sight. "He has to tell us where it is."

"I'll find it." Kisame said, and Kabuto felt that large hand on him, searching him none-to-gently. Itachi merely sighed, crossing his arms. It took a while for Kisame to give up, frowning. "It's not on him."

"Of course not. He hid it as soon as he saw us. Don't worry; we have time to make him tell us."

"And your brother…?"

"Taking a little nap. He'll be out for a while… Long enough to make this lap dog talk…"

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Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, confused. The back of his head hurt like hell, and it throbbed as he sat up slowly. Just as he was about to touch his forehead his eyes snapped fully open. Turning his head sent bright flashes of pain into his vision, making his head swim. He groaned, clutching it as he stood, weaving from side to side until he grasped a tree for balance. Itachi… Itachi had… he had saved him… His vision slowly came into focus again, and he looked around—slowly, this time. Now why the hell did he have to go and do something like that? Something fell from his shoulders, and he grabbed it on impulse. His cloak? But he'd dropped it before the fight... He looked around again. It took him only a moment to find Kabuto.

The medic sat upright against a tree near where the teen had been laying, his cloak pulled tightly around his body, head bent low and legs drawn up against himself. His shivering was the only thing that made him look alive. Blood had soaked through the dark cloak in many places, some small, and some rather large. Dark eyes looked up to meet the teens, and the medic sighed.

"You've been out." He said smoothly.

"I know that, idiot! Where did they go?"

"You want to chase them?"

"Yes! … No… How long ago?"

"About an hour…Sasuke-kun…"

"What?" Sasuke hissed, but it wasn't in inquiry to Kabuto. "An hour! You could have woken me!"

"No, I could—"

"You could have tried! Itachi was right there, and I let myself be distracted!"

"Sasuke-kun…" But the angry Uchiha was speaking over his quiet voice,

"How stupid! I'm not strong enough yet!" His fists clenched tightly. "Of all things, to insult me like that—to… to _save me_…!" He clenched his fists tightly, turning away. They were both silent for a while then; Sasuke quietly fuming and Kabuto breathing slowly. "Let's go. I obviously have to train more…" the teen said at last, but no reply came from behind him. Glaring over his shoulder, his dark eyes widened. Kabuto's eyes were on his, and his arms were at his side. His clothing under the cloak was torn and bloody, he could see it clearly now that the dark cloak was out of the way. His skin was covered in cuts and bruises, and his left arm seemed to dangle lifelessly at his side while his right clenched the wet grass.

"My pouch…" He inclined his head a little, and Sasuke followed his gaze to the medicine pouch the always carried. Fetching it, he came back with it open.

"Which one?"

"The red round one. The brown one. The green injection, if it's not broken. And… the blue pill."

"I'm not a medic, and I know that's too much."

"I don't have a choice. Give them to me and leave."

"No." The one word made them both fall into silence. Kabuto didn't press, and Sasuke didn't explain. He got the pills that the medic requested, and he even gave them to him. Soft fingers against his lips as he swallowed the pills, wincing at even that much. Sasuke held the needle like it was a foreign object, and Kabuto frowned.

"Just find the vein on my arm, and do it." Kabuto said, holding out his good arm, which shook. Sasuke held the bruised and bleeding arm with distaste and did as asked. He jabbed the needle deep into the skin, and Kabuto bit his lower lips hard. "Slowly," He breathed quickly, "not so fast… ahh… th-there…" He was panting by the time Sasuke was finished, face as white as his master's as he stood slowly. "I'm ready."

"You don't look well."

"Let's go." Kabuto said firmly, the fingers of his left arm twitching slightly. "I'll be fine…"

"The disc?"

"They got it…" Kabuto said, and his right hand formed a seal. At least, it looked like one. Sasuke nodded, and they left the area. Hunternins would be coming for the bodies of the Mist Anbu soon, and they couldn't make it through another fight. At least, the medic would not.

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Kabuto had refused all help as he entered Otogakure, and it wasn't until Orochimaru himself stood before him did he give in and allow himself to fall to his knees. The Sannin leaned down, lifting the medic's chin with two pale fingers.

"In the forest… Third… fifth tree… from the right… K…Kunari… forest…" His breath was coming faster, and he hissed in pain. "It's… battle-marked…" He managed. Orochimaru smiled slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"You're overdosed. It was this bad?"

"It—hnn…Akatsuki…" Kabuto's breath hitched, and his eyes went in and out of focus. Another brow rose, and the Sannin regarded his medic carefully.

"You've hung on long enough. I'll send others to get the disc—you rest." He said quietly, and Kabuto managed a smile as he closed his eyes. Orochimaru caught him as he fell, lifting him easily. He glared to some of those that had followed Kabuto to him. "Get all of the medics together. He'll be in the infirmary. If he doesn't survive—neither do they, or _you._" He ordered coldly, turning his back to the others.

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Sephy's Notes: Well, that's it. I skipped "it" didn't I? Oi… if you people are sadistic enough, I might just write it out. Poor, poor Kabuto. I could have been so much meaner… Go easy on my fight scene! Was it ok?


	2. Dedication

Sephy's Notes: Oh lord, beware the angst! This chapter is so boring! Sorry! I don't own them. If I did, yadda, yadda…

Orochimaru sat alone in his room today, his mood very dark. Tapping the nails of his left hand against the arm of his chair rhythmically, he chewed on the thumb nail of the right. The mission had gone over well, but because of his slight in information, his right hand man had been critically wounded, and his future vessel put in danger. If it had been anyone but Itachi and Kisame, Sasuke would likely not be alive right now. He should have told Kabuto at least… but then that was information that he wasn't quite ready to give the medic.

Golden eyes wondered over to his left, where a dried—almost mummified hand rested on the desk, red ring glittering in the candlelight. No one in the village had any idea of what significance the ring held, and he intended to keep it that way. That disc was part of the reason Akatsuki wanted to kill him so badly, aside from the ring. It held all of the knowledge he had about them, down from what he knew of each of their techniques, to their spies, and the ceremony for sealing the Jinchuurikis. The nail broke in his teeth, and he spit it out in anger. Here he was, sitting here in his dark room and chewing his nail like some weak and worried idiot. Standing up quickly, the Sannin left his room.

Things had gone well. Sasuke was pissed at something that he refused to speak about, and Kabuto was alive… so far. He'd watched the medics strip away his right hand ninja's tattered and blood-soaked clothing, a bit relieved that only about a quarter of it actually belonged to the silver-haired boy. Kabuto's body was covered in various cuts and abrasions, leaving Orochimaru to believe that if Itachi had used Tsukiomi, then it had taken even more for the medic to talk. The former-spy had looked so different from his normal self, laid out on that table with his glasses gone and his hair down, body so badly abused that only he could have survived it. No cocky smile or hidden eyes, now. They said it was his natural healing skill that had saved him from bleeding to death internally. Orochimaru had never seen Kabuto wounded so badly—the only other time he'd been out of commission for any amount of time being when Naruto had hit him square in the stomach with Ransengen.

The overdose of medicine was taking its toll on his wound-caused fever-ravaged body now, raising it to dangerous heights. A weak version of the soldier pill, a blood replenishing pill, a strong painkiller, and worst of all a very shady injection of something akin to a temporary chakara-booster. The injection caused your chakara to double its every effort, but it only lasted a short while before it began to take from your body what it lacked during that time. All in all—Kabuto should be dead. But he wasn't.

He watched over the medic now, having wondered into the infirmary. Eerie memories of Kimimaro swam in his head as he saw the medic laid out in a similar bed, machines working to monitor him closely. He had come this close to death—fought it off still, all so that Orochimaru could get his hands on the disc he had sent the boy for; a disc that Kabuto knew nothing about. He had no idea what significance its information contained. It could have been old test results, or small and insignificant jutsus that had been collected onto it. If anything, Orochimaru was sure of the boy's resolve. Kabuto had never been formally trained in torture resistance, and when combined with the fact that the Sannin believed Itachi to have used the Tsukiomi, that was three days worth of mental torture added onto whatever they did to him. And Orochimaru was angry for it.

Any other time, he would have simply passed it off as part of Kabuto's job. If the boy had been wounded in the line of duty then it was his own fault. But… His fists clenched.

_Uchiha…Itachi_…

"How is he?" A voice asked from behind him, and the Sannin smoothly turned to behold the now clean Sasuke. The younger Uchiha had been just as blood-soaked as Kabuto when they had returned, though Sasuke's skin remained almost wound-free. He hadn't gotten a full report out of the teen before Sasuke had stormed off to bathe himself and change, and it didn't look like he was going to get one now.

"He's alive... So far. What did they…?"

"I don't know," Sasuke answered quickly, his eyes on the silver-haired medic as well, "I was out…"

"Care to elaborate, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru hissed, but Sasuke's eyes only narrowed.

"I still need to be stronger…If you're not doing anything, come and train me."

"Not now. I have to arrange a pick up for the disc, and without Kabuto to heal you, we wouldn't get very far."

"There are other medics, and I don't mind healing naturally."

"I am _not _in the mood for this, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru turned to glare at the Uchiha, golden eyes narrow. The teen felt the cold scales of a snake brush his arms, wet tongue flickering against his neck, and he lost his breath.

"Alright." He said, and the genjutsu was gone. "I'll be in my room…" With that, he left the snake Sannin alone with the medic again. Orochimaru sighed, turning his eyes back to his priority. Reaching out, he brushed the silver bangs away from his face.

"Hurry and get better, you idiot boy. You see how things are. We can't very well move much farther without you, now can we?" He asked, irritated. Pulling his hand back swiftly, he clenched it into a fist at his side. Turning away, he stalked out of the room, and past several surprised medics that hovered around the door. They hadn't dared come inside while their leader was inside. It had been bad enough to bring Kabuto out of a critical state with the Sannin presiding over them the entire time.

He needed a plan to retrieve that disc before Akatsuki realized that the one they had was a decoy.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Sasuke sat in his room, idly throwing kunai across the room and into the wooden frame of a chair. Each dull wooden thunk echoed off the hallow walls, making him feel the silence even more. Red eyes flashed through his mind, and he heard the ringing clang of metal clashing with stone, wincing at the vibration it caused within his head.

What the hell did it mean? He knew that his brother wanted him to be the one to kill him, and that he'd left him alive for that very purpose, but wasn't _saving_ him going a little far? Sasuke figured out long ago that his brother had to have some sort of a death wish… but why did it have to be Sasuke?! Even if he _knew _it was all part of his brother's plans, the teen couldn't help but hate his brother even more for placing him as his soul executioner. It was one big circle, and the more he thought about it, the more he hated it. Gripping his last kunai tightly in his hands, he dug the point into his thigh until it bled, his eyes focused on the kunai lying on the floor instead of the pain.

What good was blood, as in family? His clan had hated Itachi, they had _feared _him, and his father had only sought to use him as a pawn to farther his own influence. They were all related, really, most of them not to distantly… Yet they hadn't shied for an instant from suspecting one of their own from killing a clansman. He supposed it wasn't only the Uchiha that acted this way, but all ninja. Siblings, comrades, friends, lovers… they all betrayed each other eventually. For greed, for power, for revenge, or something else. No bond was eternal… What good was trust? He pulled the kunai out of his thigh, bringing it up to his mouth to slowly lap the blood from the tip.

He had trusted once… Trusted several people with his life. His sensei, his friend, and even his greatest rival… for what? Did they save his life to save Konoha the loss of a ninja? No… Yet he had betrayed them. He didn't feel remorse, even if his logical mind told him he should have considered feeling… _something. _It was _his _path to choose… it was they that were selfish for not respecting it.

Here in Oto, they understood the ninja's way of trust. To save a teammate was to preserve your village's strength. If the situation was hopeless, you did not die fighting, but you retreated to become stronger. He could still hear Kabuto's voice clearly in his mind, calling out his name with such… fervor. Sasuke had decided that he didn't like the medic very shortly after coming to Otogakure. Over time, he'd proved himself very useful, however. Healing him after his intense training with Orochimaru, talking to him to pass the time, and giving him useful tips for sparring with his master.

Kabuto could sooth the raging snake Sannin with a few words more often that not, and at that, Sasuke had been surprised. Orochimaru still held more power than he could even think of reaching, and by this point Sasuke figured he would be a pretty even match for the medicnin. At first, it had angered him that someone of such talent had so easily fooled his home village, then betrayed them so completely. When he had thought more about it, he actually admired the silver-haired man's ability to lie, instead of dwelling on how he had used it.

'Appreciate your enemy.' Orochimaru had said to him once.

'Why?'

'Because, they learned those jutsus to kill you.'

It hadn't made sense at the time. Orochimaru's collection of jutsu was longer than Sasuke could ever imagine one person leaning in five lifetimes, and still the Sannin hungered for more. Each one of those jutsu was a life—at least one. Someone had taken the time to learn and master that jutsu, to be used and passed on, even improved on sometimes. Someone had created it. And so Sasuke had admired the medic Kabuto's skill in lying, healing, and to smile even when he was dying… He shook his head, trying to rid it of the image of the medic as Orochimaru had lifted him as if he were a child, bleeding and broken. Kabuto was an important member of Oto. If they lost him, training was going to move at a much slower pace, and that meant that Sasuke would have to wait even longer to get stronger. That was the logical reason that he gave himself for wanting the medic to get better.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

They notified him as soon as Kabuto regained consciousness, and it took no time at all before the medic was awake enough to speak. Hair plastered to his face and shoulders with sweat, body covered in bandages, the medic looked worse for wear. His dark eyes met his master's golden ones without fail, holding his gaze as he relayed what exactly had happened in the forest. He spoke of what was said, and what was done. He relayed his fight, and what he had seen and known of Sasuke's—and Orochimaru was not happy to hear that they boy had allowed himself to be distracted. When it came to the interrogation, the once-spy spoke of it as if it had happened to someone else—though his body still bared the marks all too well, and would for some time.

"And so… do you have any idea why they didn't kill at least _you_?" Orochimaru asked smoothly, arms crossed as he leaned against a wall.

"As far as they know, I am under Sasori's jutsu?" Kabuto guessed, and his master nodded.

"That's the only thing I can think of. Otherwise, they would have taken this opportunity to weaken me by disposing of you." Orochimaru looked to the floor, and Kabuto grimaced a little. He didn't like it being referred to as being 'disposed of' instead of 'killed', like he was a tool. He clenched the sheets at his sides, but his master didn't seem to notice.

"The disc…?"

"I haven't sent anyone yet. I want the Hunternins from the Mist to leave first. The last thing we need is more losses…"

"Can I ask—"

"No, you may not." Golden eyes found the medic's gaze the held it. Like a small animal being started down by a large predator, the medic was unable to look away, but he didn't flinch either.

"Alright." He said simply, and his master seemed strangely upset by that answer. "I'm sure I'll find out soon enough… Itachi was careful not to say anything about it, and Kisame kept pretty quiet, but if I'm right than this is not over, and other members of Akatsuki may not be so quiet…" He added on, and Orochimaru gave him a bitter smirk.

"Clever, insolent little boy, aren't you?" Orochimaru was probably the only one in the village that could get away with calling Kabuto a _boy_, instead of a young man. He didn't think twenty was a boy anymore, but then to Orochimaru, it was.

"I thought that was why you kept me? If I had always stayed behind you, then what good would I be?" He asked, and the Sannin shrugged, pushing off of the wall to head for the door. Kabuto sighed, looking over his own state of health as his master left. He was disappointed with himself. He hadn't been able to find out what was on the disc at all, he'd been caught and tortured like some kind of weak Chuunin, and he hadn't been able to heal from it because of that stupid shot. It had been a last ditch effort, and while it had worked he knew that he would be feeling the effects for a good week—if he was lucky, that would be all. He hadn't told any of them what he felt it doing to his body. His chakara was a good half of what it had been, the poison in his veins still sapping the rest of it away. His healing was weakened by the lacking energy, and these bruises would have to remain until it came back. Just as he was about to close his eyes, the door opened again, and at first he dismissed it as one of the medics.

"…I know you're awake." A surly voice said, and he opened his dark eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?"

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Far from Otogakure's current base, two partners in their trademark coats and hats sat together at a table outside of a tea house. Each of them took long slow sips from their tea, and the silence between then grew thick.

"He's not going to be happy, is he?" Kisame said at last, running his fingers along the edge of his cup and feeling the grainy hand-made lacquer.

"Would you be?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow as he took another sip.

"No. It's the wrong disc, and we couldn't make him tell us where Orochimaru was hiding." The blue-skinned one said, sitting back in his chair and resting his arm over the back of it. They were a good distance from the forest by now, almost halfway home. "We should have killed that brat." He remarked, hand over his shoulder that wasn't yet healed. He'd have to get back home to get it fixed. The Uchiha sighed, setting his cup down.

"And make Sasori-san angry? He's got something important planned for that one. And didn't you hear anything that was said when we all met? Orochimaru is second priority to the Jinchuurikis."

"But that disc… it's still important. Should we go back?" He asked, glancing across the table to his partner. Itachi was lazily dipping his fingertip into the tea, drawing small circles. "Itachi-san."

"No," the other said smoothly, indicating that he _had _been listening, and that he _hadn't _been lost in thought. "it'll be alright. Orochimaru won't risk going for it so soon. He'll expect us to turn back for it, and so he'll wait until this whole thing's died down before he makes his move. Besides, we took out his right hand, and reminded him that Sharingan or no… he is still too weak to make a move on his own." He smiled slowly, gazing across to his partner as he slipped the tip of his tea-soaked finger into his mouth. Kisame's eyebrow rose.

"What do we do until then?" He asked.

"I'm sure we can find something…" He went back to his tea, leaving Kisame to shake his head as he rubbed his shoulder.


	3. Healing

Notes: Don't ask about pairings I have no set ones for this fic. It could be pairless, it could be shonen-ai, it could be yaoi (without sex or kissing o.o). It is what you take it. Unsaid feelings, behind the scenes. See what you wish from it. It should please yaoi fans as well as not. If I get enough requests I will make side stories for this plot. 'Kay? -Sweatdrop- This chapter is so short, I apologize!

Kabuto could remember many stupid things he had done in his life to surprise or please his picky master, or satisfy his own curiosity. Many things that had brought him close to death, or worse... but giving himself this cocktail of death was coming close to being top of the list. His fever was raging hotter than ever as it tried to compensate for the lost chakara and blood, as well as get rid of the foreign substances that lingered in his system. It had already been three days, and he wasn't yet able to stand. The Sannin's visits were nothing encouraging to him, rather they were very troubling. The blank look on his master's face, hinting at something like disapproval, they stung the medic. It wasn't that he was hurt by it, more... he was even more disappointed in himself. He'd been through worse...

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Years ago, there had been a rare strain of virus outbreak in Konoha, when Kabuto was about fourteen or fifteen. All those infected were locked up tight in the hospital, and the bodies burned when dead. Orochimaru had desired that virus so very much–for instead of attacking the immune system, it instead dissolved chakara–fatally. Not one survived the epidemic. It took nearly seventy-two hours to show symptoms, beginning as a simple fever and soreness, moving on to touch sensitivity, and finally, weakness and fatigue until death, taking a total of five to seven days. It was the head of the medical staff, Kabuto's foster father, that had finally created a cure, saving the last three victims. The teen, ever so eager to prove that he was worth more than gathering what he felt was petty information on stupid Genin at that point, decided to make a bold move. He got into the hospital easy enough, wasn't even noticed all that much. His face was common sight around there, though he didn't think anyone could place his face with a name.

It had been a stupid mistake. A spur of the moment choice that nearly cost him his life. Stealing the sample had been easy, contaminating and thus ruining the others a cinch. Unfortunately for him, his father had heard of his arrival. Ducking into an empty examination room when he'd heard his voice, his palms began to sweat. The vial was safely tucked away in his pouch, but he knew it was no good. If he kept it on him, he would be caught. His 'good boy' image would be gone, and his father would be watching him like a hawk. Not that they would suspect he had dark intentions right away, but when they discovered the contaminated samples left...

The needle barely hurt as it pierced his skin, injecting the violet colored liquid into his veins. It burned somewhat, but even that was gone by the time he tossed the needle into the bin. His trademark smile was in place when his father found him, and he bashfully admitted that he'd failed another test, and asked to spend the day alongside him. Bless him, Yakushi senior had been a sucker for his "son". Most adults had been. And why not? He was polite, articulate, respectful, and bright, even if he _had _failed the exams a few times. The initial worry had worn off after a few hours of not feeling anything, but Kabuto's logical mind was counting the seconds. That night, he'd taken the liberty of destroying any trace of how the antidote was made, only after memorizing it of course. It was easy to conveniently acquire a mission to be gone for, his teammates handling the mission while he traveled to the Sannin's current base.

Kabuto still remembered the agonizing pain that the Sannin's backhand had caused him. He'd never forget it. Even if it only turned his face, the medic felt as if he'd been hit with a metal bar. His fever was already raging by then, and it seemed sensitivity had come early. Tears had come to his eyes from the lingering sting, and just before he broke down and let them slip, his chin had been lifted carefully. Orochimaru's voice had been cool, and smooth, "That was reckless, idiotic, and dangerous." He'd said, golden eyes narrow. "You are my most important piece in Konoha right now, and if you died I would be set back, possibly for years. I don't have years." They'd gotten more from his body than one sample could have ever given them, and saved them losing dozens of subjects. The antidote had been finished just in time–though this time, the needle had felt like a pole being shoved up under his skin. Kabuto had cried few enough times in his life so far that he could count them on one hand. He'd cried then. Meeting his master's emotionless face had been shameful at that time, until the Sannin said something else unexpected in that smooth, cold tone. "I would have done the same."

Later in time, Kabuto had been able to use strains of this virus to make many new ones. Stronger, weaker, faster, and slower strains. One of them could take a year to kill you, and it was perfect for getting rid of picky lords or politics that disapproved of his master's work. He'd even used it on a few Anbu in Konoha as well. It might or might not have been the true reason his foster father died.

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Even more rare than his master's visits were Sasuke's. When he came, Kabuto tried pretending he was too tired to speak, but it never worked. It didn't help that Sasuke was perfectly content to sit silently or simply vent about not being able to train.

"I mean seriously, what kind of medic are you? Giving yourself all that." The teen was saying now, glaring. Kabuto sighed,

"As I told you, the percentage of my survival was–"

"I don't care about all of that. You could have lived, right?"

"Unlikely."

"But possible."

"Anything's possible, Sasuke-kun. Even you shutting your mouth." The medic winced when Sasuke grabbed his neck, but didn't move. "Let go, or..."

"Or you'll what? Tell Orochimaru? What's he going to do to me? Slap my hand? Spank me? He's not _my _master, he's _yours_. And this body of mine is important to him."

"So was Kimimaro's." Kabuto remarked acidly, and Sasuke flinched just a little. He'd heard of Kimimaro, from nearly everyone in the Oto.

"What's this?" An irritated voice startled the two tense ninja, and Sasuke let go quickly.

"Just a friendly conversation between two comrades, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto said with a smile.

"I see... Sasuke-kun, go. I need to speak with Kabuto." The Sannin said coolly, and the Uchiha left with a slight huff. When he was gone, Orochimaru closed the door. Kabuto frowned a little, watching his master carefully. "Why... would you say that?"

"Because, it wasn't exactally an argument. He wouldn't have–"

"Not that!" Just a slight incline of volume in the snake Sannin's voice. "...About Kimimaro."

"Oh...I..." The medic frowned. Why _had _he said it? Bitterness because if someone so close to his master, so special, could mean nothing, what could a medic possibly mean? It didn't do wonders for Kabuto's need to survive to know that his master was willing to sacrifice his medic's life too easily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Since when are you an expert on just what is important to me, Kabuto?" Orochimaru said in a low tone, golden eyes meeting his servant's in a glare as he came closer. The medic's pulse increased. Any other time, he could have faced this kind of interrogation.

"I... I never claimed to be." He said, barely keeping his breath level and his voice even. Hands placed on either side of him, the Sannin leaned over him, inches from his face. Strands of long black hair touched his sweat-dampened face and clung.

"I don't want to hear that name pass your lips ever again. Or _anyone's. _Especially when regarding me... Sasuke-kun is my vessel now."

"Y-yes." His chest was beginning to hurt. Thank the gods the monitors were in another room, because if the snake ninja knew just how much he was affecting his medic, he might lose faith in his resolve. After all, he wasn't his right-hand for nothing. He could stare his master in the face after giving him advice or chiding him, and not even flinch at the death threats he received. His head was getting dizzy, vision almost fuzzy. He couldn't keep his breath anymore, and he let a few deep breathes slip, just a moment before two medic's came rushing into the room. They froze when the Sannin stood, looking just as confused as they were. Kabuto coughed, covering his mouth as he turned on his side, gasping for air. Hell, he knew that had broken his fever for now.

"_Idiot..._" Orochimaru nearly hissed, and his expression was something... Kabuto couldn't place it. Brows furrowed, eyes narrow, even his lips pulled back to reveal clenched teeth. The Sannin's gaze snapped to the two standing idle in the doorway. "What are you waiting for!? My promise still stands! If he dies–so do you!" At that, they moved into action. The medic tried to protest that he was fine, but they would have none of it. It was rather annoying for him, truth be told. Orochimaru backed out of the room slowly, unnoticed, and then he was gone.

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In the Sannin's room hours later, many things lay broken around him. Scrolls were unrolled and scattered, books open on the floor and pages torn, a chair broken from hitting the wall. His knuckles bled a little from hitting the wall at last. He'd probably broken something, but right now, he didn't notice. He was furious, and he didn't _want _to think of why. When he'd first seen the medic on the bed, he'd thought of _him_. Then again, to hear his name mentioned so bitterly, followed by such a similar tactic of keeping things from him--keeping health from him. It felt like a lie. It _was _a lie, a potentially deadly one. Instead of beating sense into the foolish silver-haired boy, Orochimaru had taken the worst of his anger out on his room. It wasn't the first time. It made him smile bitterly thinking of how that very boy would chide him if he knew. Damn him... They were so different from one another, but they both frustrated him unlike anyone else he'd ever met outside of Konoha. Hell, no one _in _Konoha had frustrated him like _this. _Kimimaro he'd trusted endlessly, and Kabuto, only after all of these years, he trusted with his life. Even with his own agenda, the medic had never failed to aid him in any time of need. Gathering his composure slowly, adjusting his clothing and heading back to the ward.

What he saw when he arrived only succeeded in rousing his anger once again. Kabuto was sitting up on the bed, three medics now around him, all of them trying to prevent him from getting off of the bed. There was so much shouting and commotion going on that they didn't even notice that the Sannin had entered until he cleared his throat. All of them stopped at once, and Kabuto sighed. His hair was damp with sweat, still free from its confining pony-tail, his glasses half-way down his nose. He looked rather ridiculous in his blue gown to complete the picture.

"Orochimaru-sama, please tell them to let go of me! I can stand already." The medic said shortly, but the other's all began to babel at once.

"Silence!" The Sannin snapped, glaring at them. "Let him stand." He said with a smirk. Exchanging glances, they all backed off. Kabuto gave a confident smile, adjusting his glasses and sliding off of the bed. He caught it for balance quickly, but he kept his footing. Panting a little, he stood up straight and took a step forward. They couldn't catch him before he fell, hitting the stone floor with a heavy thud and a clattering of instruments. Before any of them could touch him, Orochimaru's voice spoke again. "Leave him. Go, all of you." He said sharply, and they obeyed. The Sannin stared down at the medic for a while, who had given up his attempts to sit up. Silvery hair damp and astray, blue gown barely covering as it was, he almost looked as if he'd slipped coming out of a shower, if not for the small tube leading from his left arm. He approached him slowly, letting his steps be heard. Kneeling once he was close, close enough that his knee nudged the medic's head, he reached out to brush the hair away from Kabuto's pale face. The dark eyes were closed from him, stubbornly, as he breathed slowly. "Kabuto... tell me what is happening to your body." He said firmly. Kabuto's jaw tensed. Wrapping his long white fingers in the medic's hair and giving a tug, he tried again. "I didn't hear you..."

"Ahhg... w-withdrawl... detoxification...fatigue..." The list could have gone on, but Orochimaru released his hair. He pet it slowly.

"Good boy... that wasn't so hard, was it? I know very well what your body is suffering from–I _made _half of the drugs you took. Keeping your attack earlier from me was _lying _to me, Kabuto...I have half a mind to teach you a lesson when you're better about keeping things from me." He felt the medic shudder under his hand. "Relax. I was joking about the punishment." He chuckled. Right now, it was too easy. It was almost fun, to see the normally prideful medic so vulnerable like this... However, there was nothing amusing about how thin the youth's body was becoming, or how his pallor almost matched his master's. Moving over a bit, he lifted the medic into his arms, just as he had when Kabuto had first returned. Setting him back onto the bed, the medic pulled the sheets up and laid down obediently, with a sigh.

"I'm sorry..." He said as Orochimaru moved to leave. The snake Sannin stopped, glancing over his shoulder, then heading for the door. He stopped again with his fingers on the handle.

"Don't die on me, Kabuto..."Orochimaru said slowly, his voice quiet. "You're the only one insane enough to follow me this far... I want to keep you at my right hand for as long as possible. What happened with Kimimaro was... unfortunate... but as I said once before... I believe he was the vessel I desired most. There are no replacements, for either of you. Only imitations. Don't you _dare _make me find one for you. I've put to much into training you just right–and you're _still _insolent enough to chide or comfort me. Do you understand me, Kabuto?" He asked, without turning. Kabuto's eyes were a little wider than usual, and he had to think to speak,

"Y-yes, sir..." He managed.

"Good..." And his master was gone.

llllllllllllllllllllll

"Say, Danna... why were we chosen again?" The blonde sighed, swinging his feet in boredom. The huge thing under him shifted, and he fell gracefully to his feet with a small glare. "I was comfortable." He said in protest.

"We were chosen because we were closest. Besides, it's too early to move in on that One-Tail." The sound of a sigh. "And don't get comfortable _on _me." the strangely shaped thing spoke, a metallic tail waving threateningly.

"How touchy. I'm not dirty. Besides, I thought we were going to leave your old partner alone, un?" Deidara countered, crossing his arms. Sasori made a small sound.

"We were, until we learned that he had records of things confidential to Akatsuki. I should have known... Orochimaru was always a clever one. He never barged into things, like another partner of mine."

"Hey, Danna...that's not very nice, un. You're going to upset me."

"Then be quiet and stop complaining about this. We're only going to get the disc back, but we have to get there before they go for it, or it's a game of chase, and we're not for warring with Otogakure in the open yet."

"Alright, alright... I guess an artist can never have too much practice, un."

"That's right, so don't dawdle."

"I'm not entirely sure what that word means but I don't like it, un. So I won't." The blonde commented as he followed his partner down the road.


	4. Preparation

A/N: SO so so so sorry for the wait! ;; Personal issues, dalliances, ect are the reason! Also! The pairings, or hinting/leading at pairings, those aren't actually intentional...lol That's just me and my preferences. I say again, there will be no actual pairings for this story! Oh no! -Cry- Short chapt! But the next will be coming very soon!

Warning...Not for the faint of heart. Violence.

Chapter 4: Preparation

Five days had passed since the battle that the youngest Uchiha and the medic had fought with members of Akatsuki in the forest. The bodies were gone, but the trees and even the ground remained battle-scarred and blood-stained. Great furrows were taken from some of the trees, and all of the missing kunai had left their mark on the wood, splinters and chips littering the damp ground, already rejoining the eco system. The Oto Jounin leading the group knelt down to touch one of the trees, then looked at the others, counting. The others stood around him, alert... but not enough.

One Jounin brushed at his jacket as a palm-sized spider landed on him. To his dismay the spider didn't budge, holding fast and traveling at a pace unaltered for his neck. He grunted, trying to flick the creature. He drew the attention of two others as he desperately tried to free the insect from his arm. One of them snickered. Suddenly, the spider advanced again, and just as the man was about to scream–thinking he was going to be bitten, in a spray of red and gray matter, he had not a head to scream with. All Jounin were alert at once, searching for an unknown enemy. They spread out some, calling shouts of alarm to above. One half of a man fell from the treetops, and more shouts of alarm were given.

The Jounin in charge called everyone back to attention. Turning to his second, he began to give an order–only to catch a glimpse of a snake-like polished wooden object slicing him in half. It impaled the man next to that one, and yet another one of his men exploded in a brilliant spray of red. Dark eyes wide in horror, he turned to flee. The screams of his men faded into the distance as he ran full force. His freedom was short-lived.

Something landed on his arm, and he panicked as he recognized the tan-colored spider.

"NO, Deidara! We need one alive!" Came a shout, a husky voice. The spider froze, and he reached into his vest, grabbing something and shoving it into his mouth. "Stop him!"The same voice shouted, and quicker than he would have thought possible, the spider climbed up his arm. Just as he was about to bite down, two sharp legs shoved right through his cheek to wedge between his teeth. Something solid hit him hard on his chest, and he found himself flung against a tree and held there by the same blood-covered tail he'd watched kill some of his men. The monstrous construct came into view, it's hunched back form covered in the black and red robes he'd expected. A handsome, no, perhaps the word was pretty, blonde appeared beside him, a grin on his half-hidden face.

"Akatsuki." He growled, with clenched teeth. His jaw shook with the force he was trying to exert, but the spider legs held his teeth apart somehow.

"So much for introductions... Where is it?"

"Fuck...you..." His head was beginning to hurt. More spindly legs began to worm into his cheek, and he groaned in pain. A dozen of the bastards, smaller, climbed onto his legs.

"Careful, partner...If you harm my tail, I'll be very upset with you." The blonde stuck out his tongue and made a symbol. They began to explode, one by one, and he cried out through clenched teeth as they took pieces of his legs with them. If it wasn't for the tail holding him against the tree he would have fallen. Panting, he glared at the larger of the two. "Now... Where is it?" He was asked again. "I _hate _waiting..."

_/I'm sorry...Orochimaru-sama.../ -Crack.-_

"No!" The man's jaws closed shut on the pill in his mouth, spilling the deadly substance which he reflexively swallowed. His eyes rolled back, and he began to choke, falling to the ground as the tail was removed. "Deidara!"

"It wasn't my fault, Danna! He broke my spider's legs, look at it!" The spider was crawling back to him, three legs bitten off.

"Hnn... He'll send more. Just to spite us, he'll send more."

"You mean we have to _wait_!?"

"..."

"You're no fun, Danna..."

"No one else can find that disc, Deidara... Don't worry, it will be soon."

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Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed as he watched the paper fuda curl up and burn. "Humph. We're in luck..." He said lazily, and dark eyes turned to reguard him.

"They were pawns..." A smooth voice stated, and his master laughed.

"Indeed. And thanks to them we now know who waits for us." He pointed a long slender white finger to the remains of the fuda. The other ninja leaned closer to behold the curled remains of a red scorpion. His eyes darkened. "Hahaha...are you afraid?"

"No. Not of that man..."

"Then you know what we have to do?"

"Yes. But how will I...?"

"Leave that to me." The Sannin stood slowly, languidly. He began to leave the dimly lit room, pausing to glance over his shoulder. He smiled slowly, a truly wicked grin. "You _do _trust me... _don't _you, Kabuto...?"Yellow eyes mocked, and beckoned. The dark eyes that met them merely narrowed–but he was grinning as well.

"Do I have a choice?" He quipped, innocently enough. Laughter was his answer, and he followed his master out the door.

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Hours later, Kabuto gathered everything he would need. He was going alone this time, only because they couldn't afford to lose any more pawns. With a sigh, he winced and held his head in his hands. The jutsus were wreaking havoc on him already. He was healed completely from his overdose and injuries, and though he'd only been on his feet for a day, he was ready. But he had to do this, he had to get that disc and he had to regain his pride. One small mistake... and he would be dead. For _real _this time... because he was not going to be dealing with someone who was afraid to offend his old master... it _was _his old master. With a large breath, he pulled on a cloak and headed for the door, heart skipping a beat when he saw his master. "O-Orochimaru-sama... I was just going..."

"I know. I just wanted to tell you something else before you left."

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Another two hours later, Kabuto was stopped by yet another well-wisher it seemed, at the exit of the village. He smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Sasuke-kun, come to wish me luck?"

"No, I'm coming." The Uchiha teen said firmly, arms crossed as he leaned back against the wall.

"I'm sorry, not this time... Orochimaru-sama said–"

"I don't care what he said! He's sending you to die. You can't take an Akatsuki member. I'm coming, I want to get rid of them too, remember?"

"It won't be Itachi-san and Kisame-san this time, Sasuke-kun. And besides.. I can handle this one."

"What makes you so sure?!" Sasuke's voice rose. "You... you're going to _die_? And for _him_?" He jerked his arm back towards the tunnel.

"Honestly, Sasuke-kun... I do wish you would stop saying that I was going to die... It's bad luck."

"Then take me with you."

"_No. _I have to do this on my own. I _will _live, Sasuke-kun. I'll be back in about three days. I promise." He was still smiling. Sasuke didn't look convinced. "...Do you want to pinky swear or something?" Kabuto asked, eyebrow raised. The teen's face flushed in anger.

"Go _die._..!" He shouted, beginning to storm off. Kabuto watched him for a moment, tilting his head when Sasuke stopped again. "...I didn't mean that."

"I know."

"...Three days."

"Ah."

"...See you."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

The teen was gone, and so was Kabuto.

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He could see the forest ahead of him, it wouldn't be long now... He went over the steps again and again in his head, remembered every word that the Sannin had said to him. This had to be pulled off flawlessly. There was no second chances. One minuscule mistake and he would most likely die–but not before he'd been taken captive and tortured for days for information.

But he was flawless. He was a genius. He hadn't been a spy, a double agent all of these years to blow it now, over this silly disc. The Sannin had finally told him what it was the disc held on it. He hadn't even had to ask. Orochimaru must have really been worried... he offered Kabuto this knowledge, as a vow of trust, as well as an explanation. Telling him what it meant was his way of proving to him that this was not just a selfish whim. He gave Kabuto a _reason _to risk his life. The data on that disc could be vital when and if the time came to deal with Akatsuki. It was a very valuable bargaining chip for them... One that they couldn't lose. Kabuto understood this. He closed his eyes at the edge of the forest, steeling himself.

And such a lucky boy, he'd been well-wished by the two most powerful members of the Oto. Sasuke's words were amusing to him. The boy still couldn't quite grasp all of his emotions carefully in check. He'd despised the medic before, but he'd slowly come to appreciate him, as a comrade and a companion at times. He knew more about the boy then his master did, from a dozen tiny revealing conversations.

His master's last words remained in his head, more than anything else however. They had been spoken tonelessly–no, just firmly. Yellow eyes burned into his memory, so much that he could see them like an afterimage when he closed his eyes. Ah, such was the fate of anyone who followed a person who burned so brightly. Only glimpsing that afterimage, never able to stare directly into it, nor grasp it.

/_"You will return in three days time. You don't even have the __**option**__ of dying for me. Bring me that disc, Kabuto..."/_

"Yes...Orochimaru-sama." He said currently, heading into the forest.


	5. Perfect

1A/N: Botched another fight scene. Sorries! -Hands together and head bowed!- If you don't know the terms...look them up! Oh my lord... the only reason I was able to pull of Deidara fighting was thanks to the Wii game I played for Shippuden time. Attacks were limited from manga, and anime, so I based on his specials in it. -Nod, nod.-

Chapter 5: Perfect

The air was thick with the scent of blood, something no amount of dirt could cover up. The Mist Hunternin's had done well to remove the body of their comrades, and Akatsuki had gotten rid of the bodies of the Oto-Jounin they had killed as well. The medic's calculating gaze set on a tree and just before he kneeled he reached into his holster. Spinning around swiftly he let the senbon needles fly. They sank deep into the clay birds, but it did not hinder their flight. Jumping to the side he rolled into a crouch, reaching into his pouch behind him. The vial was small, holding a green-colored liquid inside of it. Snapping the cap, he dipped the new needles he held into it as he dodged again. This time when they sank into the birds, the clay constructs dissolved into useless masses on the forest floor.

"Too slow!" He smirked.

"What was that, un!?" The other's voice shot back, and an unseen clay spider burst next to where the medic landed on another dodge. The damn things were everywhere! Still, this was alright. While hand-to-hand was not his best, speed and dexterity were among his better options. Neither clay nor senbon were limitless, however, and before long it would come down to a face-to-face confrontation. It wasn't long at all before the trees and ground were marked by the half-dissolved clay figures and burnt remains of exploded ones. Finally as Kabuto pressed his back hard against a tree, panting, he caught a glimpse of his opponent. So _that _was Deidara? Reaching into his pouch he pulled from it a scroll, rolling it out and forming the seals in a flash.

"Shikon no jutsu!" The bodies rose swiftly, five of them, and in Anbu garb. As he charged the blonde standing high in the trees, the bodies did as well. He lost two of them on the way up the trees, taken down and incapacitated by clay explosives. The other three made it to offensively attack the still-amused blonde, who parried and returned a few jabs.

"ShÇsen jutsu!" Kabuto muttered, the Anbu moving aside just enough for his own attack. Precariously balanced on the branches of the trees, he drove in heedlessly to reach out towards the other. Just the tips of his fingers struck Deidara's shoulder, but as a bird detonated near his face, he saw the shoulder-strap snap. Closing his eyes to keep the shards from his glasses from harming his eyes, he let himself fall back. The burn on his face was rather irritating, and his ear was ringing, sending his equilibrium off balance. Hitting the ground, he rolled to the side just in time to dodge the blonde's kunai, a split second before Deidara landed on them.

"You bastard! It takes me a long time to get all that, un!" He shouted, blue eye narrow as he stood ready. One of his bags of clay had fallen as planned and lay spilled, precious clay mixing with the blood-soaked dirt not far behind him. Kabuto merely smirked.

"No wonder you people haven't come after my master... If this is all you've got." He said smugly, though his right cheek and temple itched with irritance at being singed. Deidara smirked.

"Alright," He was making seals, and the medic was backing up, unsure. "is this more fitting for you, then?" He asked just as a large clay-snake burst from the ground. It snapped at Kabuto's ankles and he jumped back, but he felt another wrap the foot that landed first. "Katsu!" Dei shouted, and the pain nearly caused the medic to falter as it detonated around his ankle. Just as the first snake wrapped around his other ankle the Anbu from the scroll closed in on Deidara, giving Kabuto enough time to untangle the troublesome construct. It burst centimeters from his finger tips as he tossed it. Eyes widened as he caught sight of the rather large bird now bearing down on him, and he covered his head with his arms as he recalled the two still-standing bodies to cover him as it exploded.

When the smoke cleared only two charred bodies were found–well, parts of them, in the crater. Deidara only got a moment to calculate this before he leapt into the air just as the blue-lined hands broke the surface. One caught his ankle and he gave a short cry as he felt the tendons and muscle shred from the inside. His foot connected to the wounded side of Kabuto's face, and he was able to get back before the second hand touched him. Both opponents backed off, panting, grimacing in pain. While Kabuto's ankle bled freely now, and his right eye remained closed, skin and hair singed on that side, Deidara merely favored his own left ankle which showed no outward signs of damage.

"I just wanted to mess with you a bit, un! And look what you did! One bag's ruined and my ankle's all torn up! You're _lucky _Danna said not to kill you, un! But that doesn't mean I won't _really _hurt you!" He charged in and Kabuto withdrew a kunai.

"That's quite enough, Deidara." A firm voice spoke calmly amidst the violence, and the blonde skidded to a halt just as the tail shot out between them. Kabuto dodged the metal object and hit his back up against a tree. As Sasori came into view, he dropped to one knee, kunai still up and ready as he panted, teeth clenched in pain, so it seemed. Deidara was very unhappy with being stopped but he ultimately decided it was best _not _to irritate his partner in such closed spaces and wisely decided to back down. "What's this...?" Sasori asked, as Kabuto glared at him, eyes full of hateful recognition. "Oohh...that's right. You don't remember... Now this _is _a mess..."

"It's alright, I saw which tree he was at Danna." Deidara said, rushing off before the other could contradict him. When he returned empty handed, Sasori laughed. It was rough and unpleasant, and Kabuto hated the sound of it.

"You thought he would go straight to the right tree, after we took care of that sad little bunch of Otonins that came searching for it? No, this one's _much _more clever than that... and how _convenient. _Either your master's caught on, and _wants _to be rid of you... or he's _naive. _No...Maybe he's that confident? You _did _give Deidara a good exercise..."

"What are you talking about?!" The medic demanded, standing slowly. Blood had soaked his pant-leg–what was left of it–from the knee down, and his tibia might be cracked, judging by the pain it gave him to stand on it now.

"This is going to be a mess, but... I'm going to have to play with my jutsu a little bit. Leader wants that data-disc, and I _do _hate to listen to him complain... it takes longer than Deidara's fights..." He chuckled while Deidara muttered a response, crossing his arms. "Well now..." He moved closer to Kabuto, catching the boy with his tail as he tried to escape. "Ah-ah-ah..." Lifting him off of the ground, he squeezed the metal tail like the coils of a snake, the tip pressing at the soft patch of skin under the medic's chin as he cried out. "Stay still like a good boy and just...relax. This is going to be rather taxing on you, but you'd better not disappoint me...Now..." Though it was unseen, the puppet-master formed many seals from within the confines of his large armor, Hiruko. "...Release!" He shouted, and Kabuto's eyes closed as his body went rigid. Dropped to the ground abruptly, he curled up to clutch his head, heedless of the pain it caused the right side of his face.

"AAAGH!"

"No time for that." The same tail slid underneath him, lifting him to slam his back against a tree.

"Agh! What...?" Unclear gray eyes tried to focus on the being before him. His voice was breathless from having it stolen by the force of which he'd been slammed. "Sa...Sasori...sama..."

"Ah, much better... How do you feel, Kabuto?"

"Heavy. My head's heavy..." The medic breathed, wincing and closing his right eye again. "What–_aahh_!" He cried out as the tail pressed harder, feeling his ribs protesting.

"_Kabuto. _Listen to me." Sasori demanded, and the medic did his very best to pay attention, his face a mask of pain. "Where is the disc?"

"The dis...I don't know what–_aaagghh..._! S-stop! _Wait_..." He coughed as the tail lessened, just a bit. Gasping for air, he clutched at it. "G-give me...just a moment...!"

"I don't have a moment, Kabuto... Tell me where the disc is. The one that Orochimaru sent you to retrieve from the place in the Mist."

"Y-yes... I remember it. I... I put it in a scroll. The scroll... it's...Near where Kisame's blade shred half the tree..." He managed to say, half of it spoken amidst a pained groan. His hands were trembling, and his breathing ragged. Sasori glanced over his shoulder to Deidara who nodded and set off to find the specified area. Looking back to Kabuto, he smirked from within Hiruko.

"Now...Where is Otogakure?"

"Ch...changes... Right now... in the Country of Lightning...Nn, please, Sasori-sama... That hurtss..."

"This is nothing, Kabuto...Don't be so pathetic. You can't stay very close to Orochimaru if you're weak. Now shut up." Sasori demanded, and the medic bit his lip, giving a nod. Deidara returned soon after, smirking as he held up the scroll. He dropped Kabuto again, who fell to his hands and knees, coughing. Deidara tossed the scroll to the ground, and it rolled to touch the medic's bleeding fingertips.

"Open it, un!" The blonde ordered, smirking. Kabuto glanced to Sasori, and the other gave a nod. Favoring his left ankle out to the side as he sat back on his heel. Forming the seal, he released the scroll. Several discs spilled out of the sealed holding, of all colors. "What?!"

"Which one is it, Kabuto?" Sasori asked, more composed than his partner. Kabuto frowned, fingers brushing over them.

"I...I don't know..." He said, and at Sasori's growl, he quickly added, looking up, "I wasn't told. My orders were to 'Retrieve the disc.'...These were the only discs in the base. He trusts me.. But not _that _much..."

"Nnn...very well." He gathered the discs with his tail, handing them to Deidara who slipped them into his cloak. "Now Kabuto... I'm going to replace that jutsu. This will likely cause you to become quite confused for a while, because of the severity of the jutsu. You will forget working for me again, but you will also forget having seen me here at all. You might remember Deidara, but the rest will be blank. Your memories are going to be spliced for a few days because of the great stress this will put on your mental health. Go back to your master, and just hope he doesn't kill you... after all, you still haven't gotten what I've asked you for."

"Y...Yes, sir." Kabuto bowed his head. Sasori smirked. He really had chosen well with Kabuto. The little orphan was clever enough to bring himself closer to Orochimaru than he ever thought he would. After all, he knew his old partner was a very selfish and untrusting individual. While he and Sasori had kept from fighting amongst each other like good partners, he'd seen the snake Sannin kill subordinates for unseen offenses, perhaps just because he was in a foul mood. Kabuto had managed to get himself placed ahead of the rest, promoted to second in command. And yet thanks to the jutsu, all loyalty was _his, _and his _alone._

Kabuto had played the part of a servant struggling with his thoughts very well, though his body was killing him for it. He could have stalled longer, but he was glad to see that it had been sufficient. Hours had been spent with Orochimaru, going over what effects that the released jutsu would have over him, and he'd spent the night recalling the original removal of it. The confusion was a understandable, and the answers given harmless. Otogakure hadn't been in the Lightning Country for years... nothing but the shell of an old base lay there. But now was the most difficult part... Swallowing, he clenched his fists. Kabuto belonged to _no one _but _himself. _And here he was willingly allowing himself to be played by two of the most powerful men in the world. Jutsu upon jutsu they laid over him like so many shackles. What Sasori put on, Orochimaru removed, creating his own intangible ones in place of them.

Sasori finished the complex seals, and Kabuto's mind went blank, leaving the world of the waking.

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"Are you sure he's not going to bleed to death, Danna, un?" Deidara asked, nudging Kabuto's unresponsive body with his toe.

"Humph... he's not going to bleed to death. He'll heal a little in his sleep, and heal the rest when he waked up. Memories or not, he knows that he's a ninja, and that an injured ninja in the midst of a battle-marked field invites death no matter who finds him. Now let's go...this took too long..."

"Sure, un. Can I rid–"

"_No._"

"Tch," Dei crossed his arms. "No fair...I don't have enough clay to make a big bird... and it was your old partner that was the cause of this, anyway..."

"...Fine. If it will make you shut up, fine."

"Un!" Dei jumped atop the large armor, smiling rather happily.

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By the time Kabuto opened his eyes, night had fallen in the forest. Wincing when he tried to sit up, he looked to his left leg. From the knee down it was shredded and burned, his clinging clothing having dried to much of the wounded skin. Unwinding his sash, he shoved it into his mouth and held his leg out. Grabbing a hold of the cloth, he ripped it free as gave a muffled cry, feeling the blood begin to flow again. Panting, a light sweat formed on his bare forehead. His glasses and headband...where were they? How had he come to lay here like this? Had be been defeated? Healing his leg, he healed his face next. It was still red, and tender to the touch, but it was better.

Just what had transpired...? He looked around again, noting the dissolved clay figures and the needles in them. Deidara...right? But... His partner... No, he was...alone? Deidara had defeated him? But left him alive... a disc... He looked at the scroll, unraveled and empty, and felt his heart plummet into his stomach. No... after all this...? All of this...what? No... No, no, no... This was worse-case scenario! He had nothing... nothing to show for this mission!? Wait, that wasn't right... Reaching up to wipe his forehead, he paused as he saw a small mark on his hand. It was a scar, cut so deeply that it had escaped his healing skills. But it was fresh. Perhaps a few days ago... A small square. What did it...?

Reaching back, he pulled out everything in his pouch. Various herbs and poisons, scrolls, senbon, ink, a pen, and cards...Cards! Spreading them out, he added his chakara to the signature cards, watching as each colored. All of them were here...Most of them back from the Chuunin Exams, general information, references of many strong ninjas, but one... He lifted the white card, with words written in black in his own handwriting,

/_Trust __**yourself**__. Is IT there? Go./ _

What...what the hell did it mean? Trust himself? It...He looked around. Nothing but ruined clay, blood-marked dirt, and battle-wasted landscape... and an empty scroll. Was it...? He lifted the scroll. Set it down again, and made a few seals. "Release!" ...Nothing. Frowning, he tried a few more things, but it seemed futile. He began to panic, his heart racing. He had been hoping that this scroll could help him figure out what the hell was going on! He saw the scar on his hand again... Set his fingertips to the scroll, and added his own chakara.

Words formed on the scroll so quickly that it was impossible to read as the filled it, and then began to scroll upwards on the paper as if a computer screen. So quickly that he only caught words... Jinchuuriki, Sealing, Rings... This was Akatsuki's biggest secret! Sasori-sama—His head filled with pins and needles, and he screamed as he held it tightly. Panting, his vision swam when he opened his eyes. What...? Looking down, he saw the scroll again, as if for the first time. Then the card.

He had no idea what was going on! He wanted to know what the hell this scroll was, and why he was here with it! He wanted his head to stop aching so badly... He wanted to sleep, and to heal... He wanted... He wanted someone to tell him what was going on, and what he was doing. He wanted... He wanted Orochimaru-sama to help him. Giving a unconscious whimper, Kabuto grabbed the scroll, rolling it up.

_Trust yourself_.

Alright... he would. He would trust himself to do what he wanted, and that was to return home. The word seemed funny to him, 'home'. Otogakure moved constantly... Had he told—No, no... there was a name he could not remember right now... But he remembered Orochimaru-sama's name. He _wanted _to remember it. Gathering everything else, he set off for Otogakure's current base.

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Orochimaru smiled when he greeted his medic at the entrance to the underground village. Save for the slight limp, and the irritated skin of the right side of his face, Kabuto was healthy and whole. He held out his hand and Kabuto seemed relieved, holding forth a scroll. Just before his master touched it however, he jerked it back, his expression suddenly very unsure. Orochimaru frowned, giving a sigh. "I thought as much..." Rose his hand and gave a signal, to which several Jounin rushed the overwhelmed medic, snatching the scroll away and holding him as still as they could.

"Orochimaru-sama, what–!?" Had he been found out? Wait! Found out from what!?

"Kabuto... I'm sorry, but do try and calm down. This is for your own good..."

"No, just let go of me! Make them let go! Please, tell me what's going on!"

"In time. For now, you'll have to be restrained... Take him to the cells... and make sure he's unable to escape. You know what he's capable of..."

"_No, _please...! I haven't done anything!" Had he? Did he make a mistake? But he was supposed to bring that scroll...wasn't he? "I don't understand!" Tears of pure frustration stung his dark eyes. He feared for his life. Had he done something to deserve this? Had he betrayed the Sannin somehow? "Tell me what I did!" Kabuto shouted, as the men began to drag him down the long halls while he struggled fiercely. Orochimaru's expression softened, just a bit.

"Absolutely nothing, Kabuto... You were perfect." He said smoothly, but it only frustrated Kabuto more. The Sannin turned his back and headed down a separate hall. Shouts of warning were all he heard before he glimpsed the medic heading for the entrance. Just before he took up chase, he saw another come into the picture.

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At first Kabuto didn't recognize the dark eyes that stared into his, which seemed just as confused as his own. Then, it dawned on him, "Sasuke-kun..." Pain hit his stomach with a blow that stole his breath, and as he felt the dark creeping into his vision, he clutched at the teen's clothing. "Sa...suke..."

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Sasuke half held the unconscious medic until the Jounin came to collect him, handing him over reluctantly. He glanced to his teacher, eyes narrow. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?"

"A little mishap is all. It was expected, and it will be solved soon... Thank you for your assistance." The Sannin smirked, turning around again. Glancing over his shoulder, his smile even more mocking, he chuckled, "Don't worry...Kabuto will be fine. You did the right thing."

"Hn..." Sasuke put on his uncaring face, heading outside. Orochimaru sighed once he reached his study, setting the scroll down. Opening it, he smiled as the words slid across the scroll. Perfect... As always, his medic was perfect. Only now... his medic had no idea where he stood... This was going to take time, and careful intervention, as not to cause permanent damage to his mental health... With a sigh, he sat down in his chair. He was already missing him.

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PS: Should I give in, and make it yaoi? If I do, what pairings? O.o;


	6. Prediction

A/N: Hmm... Going into yaoi? Hahaha, I played with the idea… and I guess I will eventually, but I don't think I'll get into lemons or anything (unless you, the readers, ask for it!). With the current chapters, I _had _to do this with Oro and Kabu though… I'm sorry to those that didn't want me to, but I say to you: You can't even _deny _it now! X3

Chapter 6: Prediction

The cells were cold; this was the first thing that the Sannin noticed. He hadn't been down in this area for some time personally; that was what he had subordinates for, after all... Subjects and the like could be fetched and searched out by them, and he didn't have to set foot in the distasteful rows of cells with the private and more protected rooms at the end. The door he came to currently was heavy and rather plain, except for the several fuda that graced the edges. With a sign of his hands and a short word he released the tags.

The cell was dark, but that was alright. He didn't need the light to see, and the cell's occupant was likely used to it by now. It had been about eight hours, well long enough to adjust to the dim light coming from under the door when he closed it behind him.

Kabuto reclined against the far wall, though he had brought himself up to a crouch when the Sannin had entered. He gave a sardonic grin, bowing his head in a respectful greeting. "Orochimaru-sama...I thought it was about time that you came to see me to explain..."

"Explain?" The much older ninja cut him off, crossing his arms and giving the medic a rather smug smile. "Oh no, you have it all wrong... I'm not here to 'explain' anything at all..."He led off, and the silver-haired one looked up, for just a moment surprised. He fell back to a grin, hands curled near his waist. The shackles around them were heavy, and chafing, the skin of his wrists already bruised and scraped by the harsh metal. The chains leading to the walls gave just enough room, not enough for his hands to touch each other, and not enough to touch the ground. His master's eyes moved to the said restraints.

"Your men think to highly of my abilities. Even I cannot cut through steel...And they stripped me of everything but my clothes. Look at this, even my and hair-tie..." He led off, forlornly. Indeed, Kabuto had been stripped of everything but his blue pants and shirt, even his shoes and gloves. His hair hung around his face, a little dirty and mussed, the same with his clothing. His body had healed what wounds he had, and now he was only tired and lost.

"What you lack in skill and strength you make up for in cleverness. You could think of a way to escape me."

"That's not very nice... I know this has to do with you...I'm _loyal... _As loyal as one can be to a mastermind such as your self, who keeps his distance and carefully handles every situation as if it was a venomous serpent that could strike at any moment..."

"Hmm, which is very loyal... at least on the outside. And you've very _good _at what you do, Kabuto... which is _spying,__lying, _and _deceiving_...Are you so sure that you haven't done anything to deserve this?" The Sannin asked smoothly, and he came to stand close enough that Kabuto had to tilt his head back to keep his master's gaze.

"Be serious... Orochimaru-sama, I know enough to–"

"I know _exactly _how much you know about me and the Oto, Kabuto... which is exactly why I am taking such precaution with you... don't you think?" His smile became even more mischievous, perhaps even sadistic. The corner of the medic's lips twitched, a crack in his mask.

"S...stop this... it isn't fair. I know I did nothing wrong, I brought that scroll to you. The one with the information from..." He led off. From...? Where the hell was that scroll from?? His face paled a little, and he swallowed hard. Kabuto's heart was beating so fiercely in his chest that it was painful, but he kept his breathing slow and even somehow. Hands unclenched and hung loosely, and he renewed his smile. "You're cruel...playing with even me like I was one of your pitiful test subjects... Didn't you say it before, when I came back? That I did everything perfectly... that I had done nothing wrong?"

"If that's the truth, then why are you sweating?" Orochimaru inquired calmly, tilting his head to the side a little. Another twitch of Kabuto's lips. "You were nearly delirious when you returned, and you even pulled your hand back from me so that I couldn't take the scroll. I have reason to believe that you might have betrayed me while you were gone on that mission."

"I'm _not _sweating, I'm getting frustrated..!" Kabuto confessed, and his smile broke at last, to a more honest and perplexed expression.

"Really...? You're not afraid, not at all?"

"No." The voice was firm, and so was the medic's expression. Only a fool would not believe that deep of an expression. Well then, the Sannin seemed to be such a fool.

"Humph...you're a mess, Kabuto. Your legs are tense like a cat about to pounce, your hands are open because your palms were getting moist, your face is so tense that it's painful, and your pulse is racing to an extreme... All of that, I suppose could be attributed to wanting me to believe you..." Orochimaru lifted an eyebrow, "...However... if you were not afraid, you would not be sweating."

"I said I'm no–what?" Kabuto tried to move back as his master descended on him, but the older ninja was much faster. Pale fingers slid up under the back of the medic's shirt, pressing against the heated–and very wet–small of Kabuto's back. "O-Orochimaru-sama, what–??" He gasped, trying to writhe away from the soothingly cool fingers. His master chuckled.

"I know you, Kabuto... I know your body, at least... And when you are afraid, or nervous you are very, very skilled at keeping it from others. Your face looks natural, your hands lax and calm, your breathing even... but your _back..._it begins to sweat. Of course, if you sweat anywhere else, it would be seen on the dark clothing that you wear...so you wear a white sash, to hide that."

"H...how...?" Kabuto gave up on keeping his racing pulse and painful slow breath to himself, and he let a few heavy breaths slip, hot and swift, tickling the Sannin's neck.

"Hmm...I told you, I know you."

"But...I...I don't remember...Anything about the scroll, or what happened..." His fists were clenched again, but his body was surprisingly calm. With this deadly man so close...he was calm. It was all too confusing.

"Try..." Orochimaru said firmly, and his fingers began to slide up along the medic's slick back.

"A...ah..." Kabuto frowned, surprised by the seemingly intimate action. He struggled with his own thoughts to come up with an answer before his master came up with anything more confusing to do to him. "I...I went... to Mist... there was a traitor...and Sasuke-kun... Yes, he was with me. Sasuke-kun and I got... the scroll?"

"Don't _guess_!" The Sannin's now damp fingers slid beneath the rim of Kabuto's pants, teasingly. Kabuto grit his teeth, trying to move away from the touch but only managing to bring the front of his body closer to his master.

"Wh...We fought...Akatsuki! K-Kisame...and Uchiha Itachi!" He rushed, mind now fighting to remember even as his body was touched in such a manor.

"Yes... but what of the scroll?" Orochimaru's other hand touched Kabuto's left thigh, and the medic tensed in response.

"It's..." It was Akatsuki's goals–their secrets! He opened his mouth to speak and was met with a harsh mental back-lash. A lie came instantly to his lips, but he froze before he spoke. It almost made him angry with himself. One hand was sliding lower, while one was creeping slowly higher on his body–but he was oddly calm...physically. Lips touched his neck, and he shuddered. His mind was a blur of images. Fighting, running, lying, and darkness... Only it wasn't supposed to be darkness... "A jutsu..." He said, at last, almost a groan as he shifted into the hands touching him. Wait just one... Orochimaru smirked, giving a chuckle.

"Is that a lie...?" He asked, as if reading Kabuto's earlier thoughts. The medic flushed.

"No! I know better than that...Stop...Stop _touching me _when I'm trying to think...!" He growled, and he wasn't surprised this time, when his master backed off. He met his medic's flushed cheeks with a wide grin, his hands leaving the other's body completely.

"Alright, alright... I take it you are coherent, then?"

"Somewhat... I think I understand..."

"How do you come to this conclusion?" The Sannin asked, and Kabuto glared a bit. "What's that look for, boy? I'll strike it off of you–"

"It's the card..." Kabuto said quickly, and the Sannin stopped.

"...Card?" For the first time that night, it was Orochimaru's turn to look confused.

"The one I wrote... you _must_ know about it. Did you tell me to write that?"

"Kabuto, I know nothing about a card... and I'm beginning to think that you _are _lying to me, and I can't begin to tell you how upset I am that..."

"No!" Kabuto pleaded, dark eyes widening a little. "There was a card...it was in my handwriting, so I know I wrote it even if I don't remember it. It was how I knew to come back here..."

"Hmm...Now I'm interested. What did this card say?" Orochimaru asked, and his mischievous smile was back.

"...'Trust _yourself_. Is it there? Go.'..."

"...And so you came back here?"

"I figured the scroll out...and I remembered that I was on a mission for you. I know myself very well, Orochimaru-sama... and I know that I would not have prepared something like that card had I not thought that there would be a reason to doubt what I was doing. That's why I thought... I would have discussed it with you..."

"You seem to think, Kabuto... that you are more honest with me than you really are." He tilted his head a bit to the side. "Which makes me wonder..."

"No," Kabuto shook his head. "There was another reason that it said that... and I know that now, too..."

"...Go on."

"It was the wording. The way it was written was rather vague... And I seem to know _you _better than I thought..."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru sounded a little amused.

"Yes... I knew that you would touch me." He gave the Sannin a rather accusing look, and Orochimaru laughed.

"How can you be sure?"

"I knew. I knew that, so I said 'Trust yourself'... but it also meant 'Trust your body'."

"I think I understand."

"Yes... If I had not said it exactly that way, I might have been very confused indeed...when I did not fear your touch, as any regular subordinate would." He met the Sannin's eyes, searching for some sign that what he was saying made sense. Orochimaru kept his gaze very placid for a long, tense moment.

"...Very well played, Kabuto. You are indeed worthy of being my right hand man." He said, and his face broke into his usual smug smile. Kabuto's expression wasn't angry, but it wasn't very happy. He still couldn't clearly remember everything, but he knew that he'd made the right choice.

"Was there ever a doubt?" He shot back, as the Sannin reached for his wrists. With two distinct clicks, the shackles released. The medic rubbed his sore wrists, healing them. "So I predicted your... _perversion_..."

"Watch your tongue, Kabuto. I wasn't the one shuddering and damn near groaning, now was I?" Orochimaru shot back, and Kabuto felt heat rush to his face as he averted his gaze.

"A-anyway...Will you explain things to me now...please, Orochimaru-sama? About that scroll, and why I'm like this to begin with..." He glanced back, and the Sannin seemed to be thinking about this. He sighed, standing and crossing his arms as he headed for the door. Turning around, he leaned his back against it.

"You're under Sasori's jutsu again..."

"Sasori-sama? But I don't remember...oh..." So that was it? It was believable... He remembered Deidara, after all, and they had discovered that the bird-brained blonde had taken his master's place as Sasori's partner after Orochimaru had left them... So it made perfect sense. "I see... so that's why I tried to keep the scroll from you at the last moment... And we knew this would happen, so we planned for it. And as an after thought... or maybe I was too embarrassed to tell you about it, I wrote that card."

"It would seem so, and the rest is correct. Which means that I have to erase that jutsu all over again and _that _means more confusion."

"So it's not the same as removing a memory block... I see. There are things I can tell you, and things I cannot, so... it's a complex mental seal. It's all subconscious. I want to hide things from you, but don't know why..." He placed his hand on his forehead.

"It's alright...At least we know one thing." The Sannin's face was so serious, that Kabuto worried for a moment as he waited for him to finish. He waited as his master began to step towards him, swallowing hard. Reaching out, the Sannin took Kabuto's chin in his long white fingers. "Silly boy, it's that you're loyal." He said, running a thumb over his lower lip. Kabuto gave a small sigh a relief, having had quite enough of this game for one night. Hell, he'd had enough for a whole year.

"Please… release it. That way I can begin to return to normal… If I remember or not is not as important as the fact that I returned that information to you, right? So just get this off of me… like you did the first time." Kabuto said, and his voice was very tired indeed. Orochimaru gave a rather soft smile, taking pity on his poor servant. Indeed, he was very pleased with the boy. He had proved to be possibly the most useful servant under him in his life.

"Alright, Kabuto… you're right. But first… I want you to do one more thing." He kneeled, and Kabuto pressed his back against the wall, eyeing his master warily.

"What's that…?" He asked curiously. Orochimaru gave his lopsided grin, full of mischief.

"Kiss the enemy, Kabuto."

"_What_?"

"Sasori's jutsu says that I am the enemy. Kiss me, and I'll remove the jutsu."

"You… really are twisted." Kabuto said, but he moved close to wrap his arms around his master's shoulders anyway. "But I know who I am loyal to… Even if my head doesn't…" he whispered, eyes slipping shut before he closed his lips over the Sannin's own pale ones. His master held him around the waist, leaning into him as he slipped his tongue past his slack lips. Groaning, Kabuto arched into the firm body in front of him, letting his own tongue brush against it in greeting. When they did break the kiss, he was panting heavily, and shuddering a little. Dark eyes half-opened to meet his master's fully open golden gaze. "That… felt so _wrong._"

"Mmm, but it was the right answer." Orochimaru said, standing slowly. He formed the seals in quick succession, as Kabuto watched on with a very content expression on his face. When he formed the last seal, he gave a smile. "Sleep well, Kabuto… when you next wake, you will be in a familiar place. I will make sure that you are rewarded for your accomplishment…"

"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." The corner of the medic's lips tilted in a smile. And when darkness came this time, he was content to welcome it.


End file.
